Apparatus for wrapping a binding material about articles



May 10, 1966 L. s. GAGE E AL 3,250,209

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A BINDING MATERIAL ABOUT ARTICLES Filed June 4, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 (IQ 19m INVENTORS L. S GAGE R J. GREYLOCK ATTORNEY May 10, 1966 L. GAGE ETAL 3,250,209

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A BINDING MATERIAL ABOUT ARTICLES Filed June 4, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 10, 1966 1.. s. GAGE ET AL 3,250,209

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A BINDING MATERIAL ABOUT ARTICLES Filed June 4, 1963 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A BINDING MATERIAL ABOUT ARTICLES Filed June 4, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheet '4.

May 10, 1966 ,'s. GAGE ETAL 3,250,209

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A BINDING MATERIAL ABOUT ARTICLES Filed June 4, 1963 v '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 jE 2O y 10, 6 L. s. GAGE ET AL 3,250,209

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A BINDING MATERIAL ABOUT ARTICLES Filed June 4, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 y 1966 s. GAGE ET AL A 3,250,209

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A BINDING MATERIAL ABOUT ARTICLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 4-, 1963 United States Patent 3,250,209 APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A BINDING MATERIAL ABOUT ARTICLES Leon S. Gage, Granville, and Richard J. Greylock, Columbus, Ohio, assignors to Western Electric Company, In-

corporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 4, 1963, Ser. No. 285,520 15 Claims. (Cl. -10026) This invention relates to apparatus for automatically grouping loosely arranged articles into a compact group and thereafter automatically binding the compactly grouped articles.

In the packaging or bundling of small groups of elongated articles such as conduc-tors, rods, nails and the like, difiiculties have arisen in providing a wrapping device which is capable of forming a relatively small loop about the small groups of articles and particularly to the tying or binding of the relatively small loop about the articles. One method of accomplishing the binding of the groups of articles involves the simple hand operation of placing the binding material about the elongated articles and thereafter tying the ends of the binding material together.

However, where mass production operations are necessi erally stationary and bulky. In many instances the article,

or articles, to be bound cannot be positioned adjacent to a stationary binding tool due to the length, shape and attachments of the article. Further, the stationary tools could not be adapted to facilitate the portability required to position the tool around the article, or articles, to be wrapped. Hence, the need is apparent for a relatively light-weight portable binding tool which is readily positioned about the article, or articles, being bound.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to automati cally wrap tightly a strand of binding material about a small group of elongated articles, whereby the articles are drawn into a comparatively compact group.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a paratus for automatically securing together the ends of a binding material wrapped tightly around a compact group of elongated articles.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplates guiding a strand of binding material about a plurality of loosely grouped, elongated articles to form a tightly drawn loop about the articles so that the articles are compactly grouped. Thereafter, the leading portion of the binding strand, which extends away from the grouped articles, is tightly secured with the trailing portion of the strand extending from the strand portion which forms the strand loop, which is parallel with the leading portion, thereby providing a compact group of elongated articles having a loop of binding material bound tightly therearound with the leading and trailing portions of the strand extending from the strand loop and away from the articles.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a plurality of loosely grouped conductors having a strand of binding material looped loosely thereabout;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a plurality of conductors in a compactly grouped arrangement with the binding material tightly drawn therearound;

3,250,209 Patented May 10, l 966 FIG. 3 is a perspective View showing the compactly grouped conductors with the strand of binding material wrapped :therearound to form a loop with the ends of the strand extending .from the loop being secured tightly together;

FIG. 4 is a View of a loop of binding material showing a metal staple clamped about the ends of the strand extending from the loop so that the ends are secured together;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a binding tool in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the rear section of the binding tool;

FIG. 7 is a plan view with parts removed for clarity showing a control housing for supporting a cam-controlled mechanism, including strand guiding and clamping elements of the binding tool;

' FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a strand of binding material positioned within a clamping and staking chamber with a strand loop guide extending from the chamber and further shows a plurality of loosely grouped conductors positioned in a space between the loop guide and the chamber;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 10 showing the configuration of the loop guide;

FIG. 10 .is a plan view showing the loop guide drawn adjacent to the chamber wherein the strand material is guided around the loosely grouped conductors and engages a stop;

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the trailing portion of the strand loop drawn tightly around the group of conductors with the leading portion of the strand extending from the loop strand clamped with the portion of the strand extending from the trailing portion of the strand loop;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 7 showing a mechanism for rotating a control cam shaft;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 7 showing a cam-controlled mechanism for reciprocally movingthe loop guide; FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 7 showing a cam-controlled mechanism for forward and reverse feeding of the strand of binding material;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line 1515 of FIG. 7 showing a driven feed roller for the forward and reverse feeding of the strand of binding material;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken along line 1616 of FIG. 7 showing a cam-controlled mechanism for operating a clamping mechanism to clamp the strand prior to the strand loop;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line 17--17 of v FIG. 7 showing a cam-controlled stapling mechanism for applying a staple around the clamped portions of the binding material extending from the strand loop and further shows a cutting device for severing excess portions of the binding material from the extended strand portions with pressure means for removing the severed excess material from the binding tool;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a stapling arm connected to a slotted bell crank cam follower which is utilized in the staking mechanism shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line 1919 of FIG. 7 showing a distribution head for the pneumatic controls of the binding tool, and

FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken along line 2020 of FIG. 19 showing a locking mechanism for automatically maintaining the application of fluid pressure to the tool during one cycle of operation.

Referring to FIGS. and 6, a pneumatically controlled, portable binding tool, designated generally by the reference numeral 26, is actuated by hand initially for an automatic sequential cycle of operation, whereby, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, a strand 27 of nonconductive binding material, composed of a plastic such as polyvinyl chloride, is fed from a supply (not shown) and is guided around a plurality of loosely grouped, elongated articles such as conductors 28 in a substantially U-shaped configuration. Further, the binding material 27 is drawn tightly into a strand loop 25 around the grouped conductors 28 (FIG. 2) whereafter a staple 29 is clamped about the portions of the strand which extend from the strand loop (FIGS. 3 and 4). Subsequently, the excess portion of the leading end of the strand 27 and the trailing supply end of the strand extending from the strand loop are severed to reveal a compactly grouped arrangement of conductors 28 having a neatly secured binding loop 25 wrapped therearound.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and'6, the binding tool 26 is provided with a central housing 31 which supports controlling mechanism for operating the various elements of the tool. A chamber closure 32 extends from the housing 31 and encloses clamping elements for clamping the strand 27 during the binding operation. In addition, a loop guide 33 extends from the closure 32 and is reciprocable relative thereto. It is noted that the loop guide 33 is normally open to facilitate easily the transverse positioning of the tool over the conductors 28. A stapling housing 34 is positioned atop the chamber closure 32 and extends from the central housing 31 and supports a stapling device for clamping the staple '29 about the strand loop 27. A pressure-distribution head 36 is attached to the opposite side of the central housing 31 and has attached thereto an entry conduit 37 and an exit conduit 40 which is connected to a rotary air motor '38 for controlling the motor operation. A staple guideway 39 extends through the distribution head 36 of the central housing 31 and into the stapling housing 34 for feeding staples 29 into the stapling housing for the stapling operation. Further, a strand guide 79 extends through the distribution head 36 and into the central housing 31 for guiding the strand of binding material 27 into the housing 31.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 12, the rotary air motor 38 is provided with a spindle 41 which extends into the housing 31 and is formed with a worm section 42 andis sup- 'ported at the free end thereof by the housing 31. A worm gear 43 is fixedly attached to a cam shaft 44 and engages the worm 42 of the spindle 41 where, upon actuation of the rotary air motor 38, the worm 42, and hence the worm gear 43, is rotated whereby the cam shaft 44 is rotated. The loop guide 33 is provided with an arm 46, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 10, 11 and 13, which extends from the loop guide, through a slot 30 formed in the chamber closure 32 and into the housing 31. An arm 47 (FIGS. 7 and 13) is pivotally attached to the housing 31 and is provided with an arcuate extension 48 for supporting an arcuate rack 49. A cam follower 51 is attached to an intermediate portion of the arm 47 and is positioned for engagement with a cam lobe 52 of a cam 53 which is provided with a hub 55 fixedly attached to the cam shaft 44 for rotation therewith.

The arcuate rack 49 engages a pinion gear 54 which is attached to a partial pinion gear 56 by an interconnecting hub 57, thereby forming a common assembly .58. The common assembly 58 is positioned about a shaft 59 fixedly attached to the housing 31 whereby the assembly 58 I0- tates freely about the shaft 59. The partial pinion gear 56 engages a rack 61 which is positioned on the arm 46 of the loop guide 33. As the cam shaft 44 is rotated in a normal clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 13, the cam lobe 52 engages the cam follower 51 to pivot the arm 47 upwardly. In this manner, the arcuate rack 49 rotates the pinion 54 counterclockwise freely about the shaft 59, whereby the partial pinion gear 56 is rotated counterclockwise against the biasing action of a torsion spring 62 to move the rack 61 and the arm 46 to the right.

As viewed in FIG. 8, movement of the arm 46 to the right moves the loop guide 33 away from the chamber closure 32 so that the binding tool 26 may be positioned about the loosely grouped articles, such as the conductors 28. As the cam lobe 52 disengages the cam follower 51, the arm 47 is pivoted downwardly whereby the pinion gears 54 and.56 are rotated, under the biasing action of the torsion spring 62, in a clockwise direction so that the rack 61 and the arm 46 are moved to the left. In this manner, the loop guide 33, as shown in FIG. 10, is positioned adjacent to the chamber closure 32, whereby the loosely grouped conductors 28 are enclosed within the opening formed by the loop guide in the chamber closure.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 14, an arm 63 is pivotally attached to the housing 31 and is provided with an arcuate extension 64 at the free end thereof for supporting an arcuate rack 66. In addition, the arm 63 is provided with a first cam follower 67 mounted intermediate the ends thereof and a second cam follower 68 mounted on a support arm 69 which extends from the arm 63 adjacent to the pivotal end thereof. A cam 71, having a cam lobe 72, is provided with a hub 70 which is mounted on the cam shaft 44 for rotation therewith and is positioned for subsequent engagement of the lobe with the cam followers 67 and 68. The arcuate rack 66 engages a pinion 73 which is attached to a rack member 74 having an arcuate rack 76 formed on the free end thereof. The pinion 73 and the rack member 74 are mounted on the fixed shaft 59 for free rotation thereabout. The arcuate rack 76 engages a pinion 77 which is mounted on a shaft 78 for rotation therewith. Thus, as the cam shaft 44 is rotated in a normal clockwise direction, the cam lobe 72 initially engages the cam follower 67, whereby the arm 63 is pivoted upwardly, as viewed in FIG. 14. In this manner, the rack 66 engages and rotates the pinion 73 in a counterclockwise direction, thereby pivoting the arcuate rack 76 in a counterclockwise direction and rotating the pinion 77 and the shaft '78 in a clockwise direction.

As shown in FIG. 15, the strand 27 of the binding material is fed from the supply (not shown) into the tubular guideway 79-which extends through the distribution head 36 and into the housing 31. The strand 27 is frictionally fed between a feed wheel 81 and a springbiased support wheel 82, whereby the feed wheel is coupled to the shaft 78 for rotation therewith and the support wheel is attached to the free end of a spring-biased arm 83 which is pivotally attached to the housing 31 and biased into engagement with the strand. It is noted that the feed wheel 81 is coupled to the shaft 78 through a commercial slip clutch assembly 80.

As viewed in FIGS. 8 and 15, the strand 27 is initially resting within a passageway 86 formed in the chamber closure 32 and is inserted into a chamber 87 of the chamber closure, wherein the leading end of the strand is held between one end of a leaf spring 88 and a clamping member 89. As the cam lobe 72 (FIG. 14) engages the cam follower 67, the shaft 78 is rotated clockwise as previously described, thereby rotating the feed wheel 81 which is in frictional engagement with the strand 27. The strand 27 is then fed into engagement with a guiding shoulder 91 of the chamber 87, and thereafter into a guideway groove 92 (FIG. 9) formed in the guide loop 33. As the feed wheel 81 is further rotated, the leading end of the strand 27 is fed. from the grooved guideway 92 and over a chamber shoulder 93 of the chamber 87, and subsequently engages a stop shoulder 94 of a clamping member 96, whereby the strand is looped substantially .around the plurality of loosely grouped conductors 28 in a generally U-shaped configuration.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 16, an'arm 97 is pivotally' attached to the housing 31 and is provided. with a cam follower 98 mounted intermediate the ends thereof, and is positioned for engagement with a cam lobe 99 of a cam 101, which is provided with hubs 100 mounted on the cam shaft 44 for normal clockwise rotation therewith. A bell crank 102 is mounted intermediate the ends thereof on the fixed shaft 59 for free rotation thereabout. One end of the bell crank 102 is provided with an adjustable member 103 which engages a shoulder 104 formed at the free end of the pivotal arm 97. The opposite end of the bell crank 102 engages a head 106 of an actuating rod 107. The actuating rod 107 extends through a passageway 108 formed in the chamber closure 32, and is provided with a cam head 109 at the free end thereof which extends into the chamber 87. A compression spring 111 is positioned about the rod 107, and is contained between the head 106 and the end of the chamber closure 32 to normally urge the cam head 109 in a Withdrawn position, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. The clamping member 96. is pivotally mounted within the chamber '87 and is provided with a shoulder 112 forengaging the opposite end of the spring 88 which is positioned in the chamber and held in a biasing position by a pair of pins 113. In this manner, the clamping member 96 is normally urged in a nonclamping position, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. The opposite end of the clamping member 96 is formed with a clamping projection 114, a cutaway 116 and a notch 117. As the cam 101 is rotated in a normal clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 16, the lobe 99, engages the cam follower 98 to pivot the arm 97 upwardly, whereby the bell crank 102 is pivoted to move the rod 107 from left to right against the biasing action of the compression spring 111.

Referring to FIG. 11, as the rod 107 is urged within the passageway 108 from left to right, the cam head 109 engages a camming surface 110 of the clamping member 96 and pivots the free end of the member downwardly against the biasing action of the spring 88. As the clamping member 96 is urged downwardly, the clamping projection 114 bites into the leading end of the strand 27 and clamps the strand against a wedge 118 which projects from an insert 119 (FIGS. 8, and 17) positioned within a slot 121 formed in the chamber closure 32.

Referring again to FIG. 14, upon continued normal clockwise rotation of the cam shaft 44, the lobe 72 sub- 'sequently engages the cam follower 68, thereby pivoting the arcuate extension 64 downwardly so that the rack member 74 is pivoted in a clockwise direction aboutthe shaft 59. In this manner, the pinion 77, and hence the shaft 78, is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. Thus, the feed wheel 81 (FIG. is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to reverse feed the strand 2 7 from right to left, as viewed in FIG. 15, whereby the slack portion of thestrand which is positioned within the groove 92 of the loop guide 33 (FIG. 10) is pulled taut around a substantial portion of the plurality of grouped conductors 28 (FIG. 11). Thus, it is seen that the plurality of conductors 28 are now formed in a compactly bundled group with the loop 25 of the strand 27 formed substantially tightly therearound. It isfurther noted that the slip clutch 80, which is interconnected between the feed. wheel 81 and the shaft '78, facilitates the feeding of a differential of binding material 27 between the length fed to the loop guide 33 and the length retracted therefrom, even though the shaft rotates equally in both directions.

As viewed in FIG. 7, the mechanism for actuating the clamping member 89 is substantially similar to the mechanism (FIG. 16) for actuating the clamping member 96. An arm 122 is pivota'lly attached to the housing 31 and is provided with a cam follower 123 intermediate the ends thereof which is positioned to engage a lobe of a. cam 124 which is provided with cams 125 mounted on the cam shaft 44 for normal rotational movement therewith. A bell crank 126 is mounted intermediate the ends thereof I the bell crank 126 engages a head 129 (FIGS. 8, 10 and 11) of a rod 131, which extends through a passageway 132 formed in the chamber closure 32 and is provided at the free end thereof with a cam head .1-34.

A compression spring 136 is positioned about the rod 131, and is held between the head 12-9 and the end of the chamber closure 32 to normally urge the cam head 134 to a posit-ion of rest, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. The clamping member 89 is pivotally mounted within the chamber 87 and is provided at the free end thereof with a pair of notches 137 and 138. As the cam 1 24 is rotated in a normal direction, the cam lobe engages the cam follower .123 to pivot the arm 1-22 upwardly, whereby the bell crank 126 is pivoted to urge the rod 131 through the passageway 132. Subsequently, the cam head 134 engages a camming surface 139 of the clamping member 89 so that the clamping member is pivoted upwardly against the biasing action of the spring 88, as viewed in FIG. 11, thereby clamping the training portion of the strand extending from the strand loop 25 against the leading portion of the strand extending from the loop. In this manner, the remaining portion of the strand loop 25 is completely and tightly wrapped around the conductors 28.

Thus, the clamping member 89 not only functions as a clamp, but also pulls and positions a trailing portion of the strand loop 25 tautly against the conductors 28, thereby completing a two-step taut-pulling operation whereby the reverse rotation of the feed wheel 81 accomplishes the first step. It is noted that the notches 137 and 138 of the camming member 89 are aligned in opposing fashion with the notch 117 and the cutaway 1-16 of the clamping member 96, respectively. As the clam-ping members 89 and 96 are urged relatively together, it is particularly noted that only the conductors 28 are contained within the strand loop 25 Where the clamping members and the associated wedge 118 are outside the strand loop. Thus, the necessity for having a clamping element or a wedge within the strand loop to facilitate the holding of the strand during a taut pulling and securing operation is eliminated.

As shown in FIG. 17, the staple guideway 3-9 is pro-' vided with a passageway 141 for receiving serially the plurality of staples 29. A pusher 142 is positioned within the passageway 14 1 behind the last of the serially arranged staples 29. An endless cord 143 is threaded through the pusher 142 and is positioned around a pair of sheaves 144 and 146 at opposite ends of the guideway 39, and is further wrapped around a staple feed wheel 147. The feed wheel 147 is positioned for free rotation about a shaft 148, which is fixedly attached to the housing 31. As viewed in FIG. 13, a hub 149, which extends from the feed wheel 147, is" attached to one end of a torsion spring 1511, where the opposite end of the spring is attached to the housing 31, whereby a torsional force is applied to the feed wheel to move the cord 143, thereby normally urging the pusher 142 through the passageway 141 to position the staples 2.9 singly within a vertical slot 150 for-med in the stapling housing 34 for the subsequent stapling operation.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, a bell crank 152, having a slot 153 vformed along one edge thereof, is positioned intermediate the ends thereof on a shaft 154 for free rotation thereabout, wherein the shaft is fixedly attached with an opening 156 formed in the housing 31. The bell crank 152 is provided witha cam follower 157 mounted ,within the slot 153 at one of the free ends of the bell crank. A cam 158, having a lobe 159, is provided with hubs 160 which are mounted on the cam shaft 44 for normal clockwise rotation therewith where the cam follower 157 is positioned for engagement with the lobe of 7 the cam. A hammer arm 161 is formed with a reduced annular portion 162 at one end thereof which is inserted within the slot 153 of the bell crank 1'52 and is pos1- tioned about the fixed shaft 154 for free pivotal movement thereabout. The opposite end of the bell crank 152 is provided with a threaded aperture 163 for receiving an adjustable slu-g 164, whereby the slug engages the arm 1-61. The free end of the arm 161 is provided with a reduced projection 166 and is further formed with a threaded aperture 167 having an adjustable slug .168 therein to preclude the upward vertical movement of the arm past a given point. A leaf spring 16 9 is fastened at one end thereof to the staple guideway 39 and extends upwardly and engages the underside of the free end of the arm 161, thereby normally urging the arm upwardly.

As previously described, the stapling housing 34 is provided with the vertical slot 150, and has positioned therein a stapling hammer head 17-1. The hammer head 171 is provided with a receptacle 172 for receiving loosely therein the reduced projection 166 of the arm 16-1. A cutting head 173 extends slideably into a slot 174 formed within the stapling housing 34, and is provided with a cutting blade 176 at the lower end thereof. A pin 177 extends from the cutting head 173 and is engaged along the underside thereof by a leaf spring 178 which is attached to the staple guideway 39 and normally urges the cutting head upwardly, as viewed in FIG. 17. The insert 119 extends along the underside of the chamber closure 32 and supports an anvil 179 (FIGS. 7, 8, l and 17) having a recess 181 therein, and is further provided With a slot 182 adjacent to the anvil 179.

As the cam 1 58 is rotated in a normal clockwise direction, the lobe 159-engages the cam follower 157 to pivot the opposite end of the bell crank 152 downwardly, whereby the adjustable slug 164 engages the upper surface of the arm 16]. to urge the arm downwardly against the biasing action of the spring 169. As the arm 161 is pivoted downwardly, the reduced projection 166 thereof moves within the receptacle 1712 of the hammer he'ail 17 1, whereby the hammer head is urged downwardly through the vertical slot 150 and subsequently engages the singly fed staple 29 which is positioned in a lower portion of the slot. Continued downward movement of the hammer head 171 urges the staple 29 through the opposed slots 1'17 and 137 of the clamping members 96 and 89, respectively, and into the recess 181 of the anvil 179, whereby the staple is wrapped tightly around the strand portions extending from the looped strand 27 which are clamped between the notches 117 and 137.

In addition, as the arm 161 is urged downwardly, the underside of the arm engages the upper surface of the cutting head 173, thereby urging the cutting head through the slot 174 so that the cutting blade 1'76 engages those portions of the strand 27 which are adjacent to the cutaway 116 and the notch 138 of the clamping members 96 and 89, respectively, thereafter cutting these portions from the remaining portions of the strand extending from the loop strand 27. 176 passes through the cutaway 1 16 and notch 138 into the slot 182 during the cutting operation to facilitate a complete strand-severing operation. In this manner, the portions of the strand 27 extending from the tautly drawn loop 25 are tightly secured together and excess portions extending from the loop toward the free end of the strand and the strand supply are severed from the remaining strand portions to reveal a compactly assembled and bound plurality of conductors.

As \shown in FIGS. 7 and 19, a U-shaped bracket 183 is attached to a distribution head 36 and supports transversely a manually controllable sliding valve rod 184 having a knob 186 at one end thereof. The opposite end of the rod 184 is provided with a stem 187 which extends axially from the rod and supports a valve head 188 at the free end thereof where the valve head is provided with a resilient gasket .189 attached to the stem side of It is 'noted that the cutting blade- 212 further into the bore 211 of the sleeve 208.

'rod 184. The sleeve 191 is formed with an annular reduced section 194 intermediate the ends thereof which forms an opening in the chamber 192 contiguous with an exit channel 1% which leads to an exit port 197. It is noted that the conduit 40 (FIG. 6) is connected between the exit port 197 of the distribution head 36 and the rotary air motor 38 for supplying pressure to the motor for subsequent operation thereof.

The distribution head 36 is further provided with an entry port 198 which is contiguous with an entry channel 199. The entry channel 199 is commonly formed with a main distribution channel 201. It is noted that the conduit 37 (-FIG. 6) is connected to the entry port 1'38 for directing air pressure from a supply (not shown) into the distribution head 36. During a period of rest, the gasket 189 is urged against the end of the sleeve 191 by the air pressure which is impinging upon the valve head 188. In this manner, air pressure is precluded from entering the bore 193 of the sleeve 191.

To initiate the operation of the binding tool 26, an operator grips the knob 186 and slides the rod 184 further into the bore 193 of the sleeve 191. As the rod 184 is moved, the resilient gasket 189 is moved outwardly away (from the bore opening of the sleeve 191 to permit air pressure, which is entering the port 198 and flowing through the channels 199 and 201, to enter the sleeve bore 193. The reduced annular section 194 of the sleeve 191 is provided with a plurality of radially arranged apertures 2112 to facilitate passage of the air pressure from the bore 193 into the channel 192 and thereafter through the channel 196 and the exit port 197 to facilitate the operation of the rotary air motor 38. As the rotary motor 38 is operated, the loop guide 33 is retracted inwardly into engagement with the chamber closure 32 whereby the arm 46, which supports the rack 61, is urged rearwardly (FIG; 20) through an opening 203 formed in the distribution head 36 to engage the free end of a bell-crank 204 which is pivotally attached and springbi-ased to the distribution head tonormally urge the bell crank away from the rod 184.

As the arm 46 engages the bell crank 204, the bell crank is pivoted into a reduced annular section 206 of the rod 184 to lock the rod in this position, as shown in FIG. 19, thereby precluding sliding movement of the rod. In this manner, the operator can release the knob 186 and the valve head 188 is retained in an open position to facilitate the free flow of air pressure from the entry port 198 through the various channels of the distribution head 36 and out of the exit port 197, thereby maintaining the operation of the rotary air motor 38.

The distribution head 36 is formed with another channel 207 which is contiguous with the main distribution channel 201. A plug sleeve 2118 is positioned within the channel 207 and is formed with a reduced annular section 209 intermediate the ends thereof, and is further formed with a bore 211 for receiving slideably therein a rod 212. The rod 212 is further slideably mounted within the U-shaped bracket 183 and is provided with a knob 213 at one end thereof and with an axially extend-ing stem 214 at the opposite end thereof. A valve head 216 is attached to the free end of the stem 214 and supports a resilient gasket 217 on the stem side thereof. This valve arrangement is provided for ejecting excess portions of the severed strand 27 subsequent to the binding operation. The operator grips the knob 213 and slides the rod In this manner, the valve head 216 and the gasket 217 are moved away from the bore opening to facilitate the flow of air pressure from the main distribution channel 201 into the bore 211. The reduced annular section 209 of the sleeve 20 8 is formed with a plurality of radially spaced apertures 218 to facilitate the passage of the pressurized air into the chamber 207 and thereafter through an exit port 219 formed in the distnibution head 36.

As viewed in FIG. 17, a flexible tubing 221 is connected to the exit port 219 and extends through the housing 31 and is connected at the opposite end thereof to a passageway 222 formed in the housing. The passageway 222 of the housing 31 is aligned lWlIh a passageway 223- of the insert 119 which forms a port 22 4 in the insert contiguous with the chamber 87. Therefore, the pressurized air which exits through the port 219 of the distribution head 36 is directed through the tubing 221 and the passageways 222 and 223 and exits through the port 224 into the chamber 87 to eject the excess portion of the strand 27 which is severed from the leading portion extending from the strand loop 25 subsequent to the binding operation. Referring to FIG. 19, an opening 226, having an arcuate slot 227, is formed in the distribution head 36 to facilitate the reception of the staple guideway 39 and the strand guide 79, respectively.

Operation Referring to FIGS. 8, 11 and 19, initially, the operator positions the open loop guide 33 of the portable binding tool 26 transversely about the plurality of loosely grouped conductors 28, whereby the conductors are positioned between the open loop guide and the chamber closure 32, as shown in FIG. 8. It is noted that the open loop guide 33 easily facilitates the transverse posi tioning of the guide about the conductors 28, whereby the conductors remain stationary and only the tool need be moved. Thus the portability of the tool 26 and the opening of the loop guide 33 eliminate the necessity of moving articles to be bound into the binding area of the tool and readily facilitate the positioning of the tool about the article to be bound without moving the article.

Fluid pressure is supplied to the pressure-distribution head 36 from the pressure supply (not shown) whereafter the operator grips the knob 186 to urge the valve head 188 and the gasket 189 away from the bore opening of the sleeve 191 to facilitate the passage of the. fiuid pressure through the exit port 197 of the distribution head.

In this manner, the rotary air motor 38 is actuated to rotate the cam shaft 44 to initiate a sequential cycle of operation, whereupon the loop arm 46 is moved to a position as shown in FIGS. 10 and 20, thereby positioning the loop guide 33 in engagement with the chamber closure 32 to completely surround the plurality of loosely grouped conductors 28 and further pivoting the bell crank 204 into engagement with the rod 184 to lock the valve head 188 in an open position, as previously de- .scribed. Thereafter, the strand feed wheel 81 is rotated to feed the leading end of the strand 27 through the groove 92 of the guide 33, around the loosely grouped conductors 28 and into engagement with the stop shoulder 94 of the clamping member 96. It is noted that the leading end of the strand 27 remains in engagement with the stop shoulder 94 during the entire binding operation, thereby precluding an accidental forward movement of the strand during the operation.

As viewed in FIG. 10, the cam head 109 is subsequently actuated to pivot the clamping member 96 downwardly whereby the clamping projection 114 bites into the leading portion of the strand 27 of the binding material and clamps the strand against the wedge 118. It is noted that movement of the clamping member 96 moves a first portion of the subsequently formed strand loop 25 into engagement with a first portion of the articles. Continued rotation of the cam shaft 44 reverses the rotation of the feed wheel 81 to initiate the first step of the two-step taut-pulling operation, whereby a substantial length of the slack portion of the strand 27 resting in the groove 92 of the loop guide 33 is drawn from the groove and pulled taut around a substantial portion of the conductors 28 to form substantially the strand loop 25 with the conductors being drawn into a compact group. The first 1Q step of the taut-pulling operation draws tautly a second and substantial portion of the subsequently formed loop 25 about a substantial portion of the remaining articles. It is noted that subsequent to the retraction of a desirable portion of the strand during the reverse feed operation, the slip cultch will disconnect the shaft 78 fromthe feed wheel 81, thereby facilitating the return of the shaft 78 to a normal rest position without rotating the feed wheel. In this manner the differential in the length of strand 27 fed forward and the length retracted is substantially the amount consumed in the strand loop 25.

Subsequent to the reverse feed operation, the cam head 134 is actuated to pivot the clamping member 89 into engagement with the trailing portion of the strand 27 extending from the strand loop 25, thereby pulling taut a third and remaining portion of the strand loop 25 about the conductors to complete the second step of the two-step taut-pulling operation. In addition, the movement of the clamping member 89 clamps the trailing portion of the strand 27 extending from the loop 25 with the leading portion of the strand extending from the loop. In addition, the clamping members 89 and 96 and the wedge 118 are maintained entirely outside the strand loop 25, thereby insuring that the entire loop is tightly bound around the conductors 28 only.

Referring to FIG. 17, further rotation of the cam shaft 44 results in downward movement of the stapling arm 161, whereby the hammer head 171 engages the previously positioned staple 29 and urges the staple downwardly through the opposed notches 117 and 137 of the clamping members 96 and 89, respectively, and further drives the staple into the slot 181 of the anvil 179, where by the staple is bent and tightly secured about the strand ends extending from the loop 25. By utilizing a plastic binding material 27, the staple 29 is pressed into the material during the securing operation, thereby insuring a rigid securance of the ends extending from the strand loop 25.

During the downward travel of the arm 161, the arm engages and urges the cutting head 173 downwardly, whereby the cutting blade 176 engages the portions of the strand 27 positioned between the cutaway 116 and the notch 138 of the clamping members 96 and 89, thereby severing these portions of the strand from the remaining portions extending from the strand loop 25. It is noted that the slot 182 of the insert 119 is provided to permit sufiicient downward travel of the blade 176, thereby insuring thecomplete severance of the excess portions of the strand 27 from the remaining portions extending from the strand loop 25. Thereafter, the cam heads 109 and 134 are retracted and the clamping members 96 and 89 pivot away from clamping engagement with the strand 27 under the biasing action of the opposite ends the valve head 216 and the gasket 217 away from the opening of the bore 211 to provide a blast of fluid pressure at the insert port 224 for ejecting the excess portion of the strand 27 severed from the leading end thereof. It is noted that the severed supply end of the strand 27 rests on the clamping member 89, as viewed in FIG. 8, and is held there by the leaf spring 88. As the cam shaft 44 continues to rotate, the loop arm 46 is moved from left to right to a position as shown in FIG. 8, thereby releasing the bell crank 204 (FIGS. 19 and 20), whereby the air pressure impinges upon the valve head 188 to force the gasket 189 into engagement with the sleeve 191. In this manner, the fluid pressure is precluded from passing through the exit port 197, whereby the rotary air motor 38 ceases to operate and a sequential cycle of the binding operation is completed. Thus, it is seen that the binding tool 26 compactly groups a plurality of elongated articles, such as conductors 28, and thereafter retains the articles in such a compact grouping by securing tightly a binding material therearound.

It will be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Other arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for compactly bundling and binding grouped articles, which comprises:

means for enclosing the articles in a loosely grouped arrangement,

means for feeding a strand of binding material from a supply in a forward direction around a major portion of the loosely grouped enclosed articles whereby the leading portion of the strand extends away from the grouped articles and toward the supply,

a first clamping means for clamping the leading portion of the strand whereby movement of the leading portion is precluded,

means for reversing the feeding means for drawing tightly the strand around a substantial portion of the articles so that the articles are compactly bundled,

a second clamping means for clamping a trailing portion of the strand in a parallel contacting relation with the clamped leading portion of the strand whereby a strand loop is tautly positioned about the compactly bundled articles with the leadingand trailing portions of the strand extending from the strand loop away from the bundled articles,

means for applying a securing means about a clamped portion of the leading and trailing portions of the strand extending from the strand loop whereby the leading and trailing portions are secured together,

means for severing the leading and trailing portions of the strand adjacent to the securing means whereby excess portions of the strand are removed from the remaining portions extending from the loop so that a neat binding loop is tightly secured about the compactly grouped articles, and

means for sequentially operating the various means whereby a strand of binding material is formed tautly and secured about the articles.

2. A tool for compactly bundling and binding grouped articles as set forth in claim in which the enclosing means includes:

a housing having a concave edge,

a loop guide slideably supported within the housing and having a semicircular free end with a groove therein for subsequently guiding the strand around the articles,

the semicircular end of the guide substantially spaced from and aligned with the concave edge of the housing to define a spaced therebetween to facilitate the lateral positioning of the tool about the loosely grouped articles, and

means for moving the loop guide into engagement with the housing whereby the concave edge and free end of the housing and guide, respectively, form substantially a circular enclosure around the loosely grouped articles.

3. A tool for compactly bundling and binding grouped articles as set forth in claim 1 in which the first clamping means includes:

a housing,

a pivotable member mounted in the housing outside the subsequently formed strand loop and having a shoulder for engaging the leading port-ion of the strand as the strand is fed around the loosely grouped articles,

the member formed with a pointed projection which extends transversely into the path of movement of the leading portion of the, strand,

a wedge fixedly mounted in the housing outside of sub i2; sequently formed strand loop in the pivotal path of the pointed projection, and

means for pivoting the member subsequent to the engagement of the leading portion of the strand with the member shoulder whereby the pointed projection bites into the strand and clamps the strand against the wedge.

4. A tool for compactly bundling and binding grouped articles as set forth in claim 1 in which the second clamping means includes:

a pivotal member mounted in the housing outside the subsequently formed strand loop for engaging and moving the trailing portion of the strand into juxtapositional engagement with the leading portion of the strand whereby the strand leading and trailing portions are clamped together, and

means for pivoting the pivotal member whereby the clamped strand portions are placed in juxtapositional engagement.

5. A tool for compactly bundling and binding grouped articles, which comprises:

means for enclosing the articles in.a grouped arrangement,

means for feeding a strand of binding material tightly around the grouped enclosed articles whereby the leading portion of the strand extends away from the enclosed articles and toward and spaced from the trailing portion of the strand so that a strand loop is formed substantially about the enclosed articles,

means positioned outside the strand loop for clamping the leading and the trailing portions of the strand together in parallel juxtapositional engagement extending away from the strand loop in the same direction, and

means for securing together the clamped leading and trailing portions of the strand extending from the strand loop in a parallel relationship.

6. A tool for compactly bundling and binding grouped articles as set forth in claim 5 in which the clamping means includes:

a housing,

a first clamping element pivotally mounted within a chamber in the housing and positioned outside the strand loop,

a second clamping element pivotally mounted in the housing chamber outside the strand loop and spaced from and in opposing relation with the first clamping member whereby a space is defined therebetween for receiving the leading and the trailing portions of the strand extending from the strand loop, and

means for relatively urging the first and second clamping elements together subsequent to the feeding of the strand loop about the group of articles whereby the leading and trailing portions of the strand extending from the strand loop are clamped therebetween.

7. A tool for compactly bundling and binding grouped articles as set forth in claim 6 in which the first and second clamping elements are each formed with a notch positioned opposite the notch of the opposing element whereby a transverse space is formed on opposite sides of the clamped leading and trailing strand portions extending from the strand loop to facilitate the passage of the securing means.

8. A tool for compactly bundling and binding grouped articles, which comprises:

means for feeding forwardly a strand of binding material loosely about the grouped articles,

means for engaging the leading portion of the strand during the feeding operation for precludingthe forward movement of the strand during the remainder of the bundling and binding of the articles,

a first drawing means for drawing tautly the strand around a substantial portion of the articles whereby the articles are compactly bundled,

a second drawing means moving transversely to the strand for drawing tautly the strand completely around the articles whereby a complete loop of strand with parallel extending ends is tautly formed about the compactly grouped articles, and

means for securing together leading and trailing portions of the strand extending from the strand loop.

9. A tool for compactly bundling and binding grouped articles as set forth in claim 8, in which the second drawing means includes:

a pivotal member adjacent to and positioned outside the stra'ndloop which draws tautly the trailing portion of the strand loop into engagement with the articles, and

means for pivoting the member whereby the trailing portion of the strand loop is drawn tautly into engagement with the articles.

10. A tool for compactly bundling and binding a group of loosely arranged articles, which comprises:

means for enclosing the articles in a grouped arrangement,

means for feeding a strand of binding material about the enclosed articles in a substantially U-shaped configuration,

a first-positioning means for positioning a' first portion of a subsequently formed strand loop in engagement with a first portion of the loosely grouped enclosed articles,

means for drawing tautly a second portion of the subsequently formed strand loop about a substantial portion of the remaining loosely grouped enclosed articles, whereby the enclosed articles are, substantially compactly grouped,

a second-positioning means for positioning a third portion of the formed strand loop in engagement with the remaining portion of the grouped enclosed articles whereby a strand loop is tautly formed about the compactly arranged articles with leading and trailing portions of the strand extending away from the loop in the same direction and the enclosed articles in parallel juxtapositioned engagement, and

means for securing the extended leading and trailing portions of the strand together.

11. A tool for compactly bundling and binding loosely grouped articles as set forth in claim in which the firstpositioning means includes:

a pivotal member spaced from the articles for receiving the strand therebetween, and

means for pivoting the member whereby the first portion of the strand loop is positioned in engagement with the first portion of the grouped articles.

12. A tool for compactly bundling and binding loosely grouped articles as set forth in claim 10 in which the second-positioning means includes:

a pivotal member spaced from the articles for receiving the strand therebetween,

the pivotal member being in engagement with the third portion of the strand loop, and

means for pivoting the member whereby the third portion of the strand loop is positioned in engagement with the remaining portion of articles to form a tautly drawn strand loop about the articles and the trailing portion of the strand extending from the loop is placed in parallel juxtapositional engagement with the leading portion of the strand extendingfrom the loop.

13. A tool for compactly bundling and binding loosely grouped articles by wrapping a strand of binding material therearound, which comprises: a

a housing having a concave surface along one edge thereof,

a loop guide slideably positioned within the housing and having a semicircular extension with a groove formed therein spacially'opposed from the concave surface of the housing to define a space therebetween,

thereby facilitating the positioning of the loop guide about a stationary group of articles so that the articles are confined within the space defined between the guide and the concave surface,

means for sliding the loop guide within the housing whereby the semicircular extension mates with the concave groove of the housing to form a substan-' tially circular enclosure about the confined articles,

the housing formed with a chamber adjacent to the concave edge thereof,

a first pivotal member positioned within the chamber and spaced from thecircular enclosure,

a second pivotal member mounted within the chamber in opposition to the first pivotal member and spaced from the circular enclosure,

the first pivotal member formed with a stop shoulder and a pointed projection with a pair of notches adjacent to the projection,

the second pivotal member formed with a pair of notch es positioned to mate with the pair of notches of the first pivotal member,

a, fixed wedge extending into the chamber of the housmeans for feeding the strand of binding material into the chamber of the housing through the groove of the semicircular extension of the loop guide and into abutting engagement with the stop shoulder of the first pivotal member whereby the strand is loosely for-med about the grouped articles in a substantially U-shaped configuration,

trailing portion of the strand, which extends from one end of a portion of strand which subsequently forms a strand loop, resting on the surface of the second pivotal member opposite the first pivotal member and a leading portion of the strand which extends from the other end of .the portion of strand which forms the strand loop with the leading portion positioned Within the space defined by the pointed projection of the first pivotal member and the wedge,

means for pivoting the first pivotal member toward the second pivotal member whereby the pointed projection bites into and clamps the leading portion of the strand against the wedge and positions a first portion of the subsequently formed strand loop in engagement with a first portion of the loosely grouped articles so that the leading portion of the strand extends away from the articles,

means for reversing the feeding means whereby the trailing portion of the strand is pulled away from the circular enclosure and a second and substantial portion of the strand is pulled from within the guide groove and drawn tautly around a substantial portion of the remaining articles,

means for pivoting the second pivotal membertoward the first pivotal member whereby a third portion of the subsequently formed strand loop is positioned tautly in engagement with the remaining articles so that the strand loop is completely and tautly formed about the compactly grouped articles with the pivotal clamping members and the wedge being outside the enclosure formed by the strand loop,

the trailing portion of the strand extending from the strand loop being clamped in juxtapositional engagement with the leading portion of the strand extending from the strand loop whereby the opposed notches of the pivotal members are aligned on opposite sides of the juxtaposed leading and trailing strand portions so that the portions extend away from the grouped articles,

the housing formed with a first channel superjacent to a first pair of the pairs of aligned notches of the opposed pivotal members for receiving singly fed U- shaped staples from a staple supply therein,

15 the chamber of the housing formed with a recessed anvil subjacent to the first pair of the two pairs of aligned notches of the opposed pivotal members, the housing formed with a second channel superjacent to the second pair of the pairs of aligned notches of the opposed pivotal members, a cutter blade slideably positioned within the second channel of the housing, I means for feeding a single staple from the first chan nel with the legs of the staple passing through the first pair of aligned notches and into the recessed anvil whereby the legs are folded inwardly against the juxtaposed leading and trailing portions of the strand extending from the strand loop thereby securing the portions of the strand together, means for urging the cutting blade downwardly from within the second channel into transverse cutting engagement engagement with the leading and trail ring portions of the strand adjacent to the second pair of aligned notches whereby excess lengths of the leading and trailing portions of the strand are severed from the remaining portions which extend from the strand loop, and means for sequentially operating the various means whereby a complete cycle of operation is completed. 14. A tool as set forth in claim 1, wherein the securing means and the means for applying the securing means includes:

a housing, a supply of staples contained within the housing, means for positioning and clinching one of the staples about the clamped leading and trailing portion of the strand extending from each strand p, and

means for operating the positioning and clinching means.

15. A tool as set forth in claim 5, wherein the securing means includes:

a housing,

a staple "contained within the housing,

an anvil formed within the housing,

means for positioning the staple about the clamped leading and trailing portions of the strand which extend from the strand loop, and

means for driving the positioned staple into engagement with the anvil, whereby the staple is clinched and secured about the leading and trailing portion of the strand extending from the strand loop.

' References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,145,339 1/1939 Burns l0033 X 2,674,181 4/1954 Jones l0026 X 2,853,938 9/1958 Hall et a1. 10O29 X 2,880,666 4/1959 Rogers 100-26 2,882,814 4/1959 Winkler et a1. l0029 X 3,031,949 5/1962 Daniels 100-26 3,033,102 5/1962 Fryklund 100-14 3,057,648 10/1962 Schwarze et al l0026 X 3,070,929 1/1963 Kiwi 53135 LOUIS O. MAASSEL, Primary Examiner.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner. 

1. A TOOL FOR COMPACTLY BUNDLING AND BINDING GROUPED ARTICLES, WHICH COMPRISES: MEANS FOR ENCLOSING THE ARTICLES IN A LOOSELY GROUPED ARRANGEMENT, MEANS FOR FEEDING A STRAND OF BINDING MATERIAL FROM A SUPPLY IN A FORWARD DIRECTION AROUND A MAJOR PORTION OF THE LOOSELY GROUPED ENCLOSED ARTICLES WHEREBY THE LEADING PORTION OF THE STRAND EXTENDS AWAY FROM THE GROUPED ARTICLES AND TOWARD THE SUPPLY A FIRST CLAMPING MEANS FOR CLAMPING THE LEADING PORTION OF THE STRAND WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF THE LEADING PORTION IS PRECLUDED MEANS FOR REVERSELY THE FEEDING MEANS FOR DRAWING TIGHTLY THE STRAND AROUND A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE ARTICLES SO THAT THE ARTICLES ARE COMPACTLY BUNDLED, A SECOND CLAMPING MEANS FOR CLAMPING A TRAILING PORTION OF THE STRAND IN A PARALLEL CONTACTING RELATION WITH THE CLAMPED LEADING PORTION OF THE STRAND WHEREBY A STRAND LOOP IS TAUTLY POSITIONED ABOUT THE COMPACTLY BUNDLED ARTICLES WITH THE LEADING AND TRAILING PORTIONS OF THE STRAND EXTENDING FROM THE STRAND LOOP AWAY FROM THE BUNDLED ARTICLES, MEANS FOR APPLYING A SECURING MEANS ABOUT A CLAMPED PORTION OF THE LEADING AND TRAILING PORTIONS OF THE STRAND EXTENDING FROM THE STRAND LOOP WHEREBY THE LEADING AND TRAILING PORTION ARE SECURED TOGETHER, MEANS FOR SEVERING THE LEADING AND TRAILING PORTION OF THE STRAND ADJACENT TO THE SECURING MEANS WHEREBY EXCESS PORTIONS OF THE STRAND ARE REMOVED FROM THE REMAINING PORTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE LOOP SO THAT A NEAT BINDING LOOP IS TIGHTLY SECURED ABOUT THE COMPACTLY GROUPED ARTICLES, AND MEANS FOR SEQUENTIAL OPERATING THE VARIOUS MEANS WHEREBY A STRAND OF BINDING MATERIAL IF FORMED TAUTLY AND SECURED ABOUT THE ARTICLES. 